Tag Archives: Travis County

Record registration numbers for Harris County

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. As registration closed, Harris County’s voter roster had grown by more than 6 percent since 2014, the steepest increase in 16 years. More than 323,890 new names have been added, bringing the county voter roll to more than 2.2 … Continue reading →

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Miller avoids charges for his questionable trips

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t catch ’em all. Travis County prosecutors will not press criminal charges against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller for tapping taxpayer funds for two trips that involved personal activities — including an appearance in a Mississippi rodeo and the receipt … Continue reading →

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Two more Clinton campaign offices opened in Texas

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In Austin: The Democratic National Committee opened its Austin headquarters on Sunday. The move comes amid a surprisingly narrowing gap (given the longtime deep-red status of the state) between Clinton and her GOP rival, Donald Trump, for the presidency. The … Continue reading →

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Reducing pot prosecutions one county at a time

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some Texas cities are taking direct action to dial back the drug wars and reduce their jail population. As lawmakers have wrestled in recent years with easing restrictions on marijuana use – an issue they likely will confront again when … Continue reading →

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We won’t have Robert Morrow to kick around any longer

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Valar morghulis, y’all. The brief, zany tenure of Travis County GOP Chairman Robert Morrow came to an end Friday, as party officials made clear the conspiracy theorist abandoned his post by running for president and he accepted their conclusion without … Continue reading →

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Rangers hand off Miller case to Travis County DA

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has begun reviewing the findings of a criminal investigation into Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s travel, a top prosecutor said Friday. “We received the investigation (from the Texas Department of Public … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Project requests investigation of severance packages

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle sent letters to the Texas Rangers, the State Auditor and the Travis County District Attorney requesting formal investigations into a series of questionable payments made by Attorney General Ken Paxton, … Continue reading →

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Rangers investigating Rep. Dawnna Dukes

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Busy days for them. The Texas Rangers have joined a Travis County District Attorney office criminal probe into state Rep. Dawnna Dukes’ use of staff, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed. “At the request of the Travis County District … Continue reading →

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Weekend scandal news roundup

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If anything comes from the Texas Rangers investigation into his questionable expenditures, Ag Commissioner Sid Miller would be prosecuted in Travis County. If embattled Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is prosecuted for misusing government funds, his trial would be in … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court dismisses effort to dissolve state’s first same-sex marriage

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I could be wrong, but I believe this closes the books on all the same-sex marriage litigation from last year. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tossed out Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to undo the union of the first gay couple to … Continue reading →

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Second complaint filed against Miller

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You do the crime… A liberal advocacy group has filed another complaint against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who found himself in hot water recently over possible misuse of state and campaign funds. The complaint, filed Wednesday by Progress Texas,asks … Continue reading →

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Case against Rick Perry officially dismissed

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So there you have it. The criminal case against former Gov. Rick Perry was officially dismissed on Wednesday, weeks after Texas’ highest criminal court ordered that it be dropped. Judge Bert Richardson, who presided over the case in Travis County … Continue reading →

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We’re still growing

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The collapse of the oil boom has not slowed down Texas’ rapid population growth. The Houston area added more people last year than any metropolitan region in the country, continuing its exceptional growth of the last decade and a half, … Continue reading →

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Travis County GOP shakes its fist at its new Chair

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Poor babies. At a packed Travis County GOP executive committee meeting Tuesday night, it took less than a minute for someone to acknowledge the elephant not in the room. “Give us wisdom to deal with the situation that we’re in,” … Continue reading →

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Is there anything more to the Rick Perry case?

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’m dubious. The special prosecutor in the abuse-of-power case against Rick Perry said Thursday he still hasn’t decided whether to drop the matter a week after the state’s highest criminal court ordered that the indictment against the former governor be … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott does not approve of Robert Morrow

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Aw, that’s so cute. As the battle for control of the Travis County GOP heats up, and its newly elected chair writes increasingly raunchy tweets at breakneck speed, Gov. Greg Abbott has stepped into the fray to condemn his fellow … Continue reading →

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2016 primary reactions and initial impressions

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

First, a couple of minor notes. Rep. Byron Cook ultimately pulled out a win in his nasty and high-profile primary. That’s good news for Speaker Joe Straus and the general forces of “government that isn’t like a three-year-old coming off … Continue reading →

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The effect of the law that was supposed to cripple the Public Integrity Unit

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Never tempt the weauxf gods. Or the Senate Republicans. Nearly a year after Texas Republicans cheered the passage of a law to strip the Travis County Public Integrity Unit’s power to investigate elected officials and state employees, the unit’s director … Continue reading →

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Our obsolete voting machines

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Brennan Center: Executive Summary In January 2014, the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration (PCEA) issued a stern warning that should be of grave concern to all Americans: There is an “impending crisis … from the widespread wearing … Continue reading →

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Paxton prosecutors sue AG office to block records

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hold on to your hats. In an unusual and head-spinning twist, prosecutors in the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the attorney general’s office Thursday to block the release of sensitive case information that could hinder Paxton’s … Continue reading →

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Rep. Naishtat will not run for re-election

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Godspeed. Longtime state Rep. Elliott Naishtat announced Thursday he will not seek re-election to the House seat he first won in 1990, despite saying earlier this week that he would. Naishtat, 70, said Tuesday he had discovered a renewed desire … Continue reading →

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Perry appeal briefs

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The latest update on the appeals before the CCA in the Rick Perry matter. The 3rd Court of Appeals this summer tossed one of two counts against Perry, saying the coercion law underlying it violates the First Amendment. The 3rd … Continue reading →

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What is coercion, anyway?

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It could be the defining legacy of Rick Perry’s career, depending on how things go in the courts. The coercion law has been used only sparingly in Texas, according to records for the past five years, and some legal experts … Continue reading →

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CCA will hear appeals of Perry’s indictments

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday granted requests by both Perry and the Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney to determine whether the indictment against Perry should stand. The court set oral arguments for Nov. 4. … Continue reading →

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Paxton loses again on same sex marriage

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Turning aside objections from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Travis County judge approved an out-of-court settlement Tuesday that recognizes the eight-year relationship of two Austin women as a common-law marriage. The settlement accepted by Travis County Probate Judge … Continue reading →

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Perry’s pathetic pity party

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There isn’t a violin small enough. Rick Perry blamed his criminal indictment and exclusion from the Republican debate mainstage for his failed presidential bid in his first interview since suspending his presidential campaign on Friday. “The indictment by the Travis … Continue reading →

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CCA gets ready to deal with Rick Perry

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The action never stops. The next move in the felony case against Rick Perry belongs to the state’s highest criminal court, which will decide as early as mid-September whether to accept or reject two appeals in the case. The Court … Continue reading →

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Paxton still fighting same sex marriage

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some things never change. Despite his recent pledge to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, Attorney General Ken Paxton is already seeking to prevent the decision from being applied in an Austin estate case. Paxton’s office filed … Continue reading →

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More on voting centers

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be interested to see how this goes in Galveston. Just in time for the November election, Galveston County has launched the first mobile app of its kind in the state, called “Galveston Votes.” It uses GPS to direct people … Continue reading →

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Perry appeals his other indictment

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

More for the CCA to deal with. Lawyers for former Gov. Rick Perry are urging the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to finish off the remaining charge in his indictment, ratcheting up their push to end the case against the … Continue reading →

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Perry wins one and loses one at the appeals court

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

He’s still under indictment. Former Gov. Rick Perry must face one criminal count in the abuse-of-power case against him but another would be dismissed under a Friday ruling by an appeals court. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the … Continue reading →

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Paxton drops another same sex marriage appeal

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another step forward. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton plans to dismiss an appeal challenging a Travis County judge’s February ruling that found the state’s ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision declaring gay … Continue reading →

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Abbott signs bill to remove Public Integrity Unit from Travis County DA office

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Ignoring calls for a veto, Gov. Greg Abbott signed controversial legislation this week that will allow elected and appointed state officials and state employees to bypass Austin prosecutors when they are accused of public corruption. Abbott, a Republican, … Continue reading →

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Texas Supreme Court rules against AG in Austin gay divorce case

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One small step, even if it was on a technicality. As Texas waits on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage, the state’s highest civil court ruled Friday that the Texas attorney general tried too late to stop … Continue reading →

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